Watchman&#39;s clock



Jan. 21, 1941. KURING 2,229,098

WATCHMAN Filed Jan. 18, 1940 H! r 1W @2 I @11 M v d ATTORNEYS PatentedJan. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATCHMANS CLOCK August PeterKuring, Chicago, 111., assignor to Detox Watchclock Corporation, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application January 18, 1940,Serial No. 314,371

4 Claims. (Cl. 234-39) This invention relates to improvements inPreferably, the clockwork and other elements watchmans clocks. It isamong the objects of which constitute the operating mechanism are of theinvention to provide a watchmans clock confined between up r and lower Wls l2 a d with a compartment for storing the used portion l3 and a sidewall [4 which keeps their contents 5 of a recording tape between theoperating mechdust-proof. It is not ordinarily necessary that 5 anismand the clock casing. The accomplishwalls enclosing the clockwork be soextensive as ment of this object is toward the end of providto enclosethe other parts of the Ope ing a watchmans clock which is compact thoughmechanism and occupy nearly l Of the ava lhaving spacious accommodationfor storing a able space within the casing, as is done in the longrecording tape while it is being advanced present embodiment of theinvention. It is con- 10 for record purposes. Further and other objectsvenient, however, to mount all of the operating of the invention will behereinafter set forth mechanism into a removable unit. As it clearly inthe accompanying specification and claims appears in Fig. 2 of thedrawing, the outside and demonstrated by the drawing which shows a. edgeext y of the removable unit, Which in preferred embodiment and theprinciple of my inthe present instance is defined by the side wall 15vention, and what I now consider to be the best I4, is spaced a shortdistance from wall ll of the mode of applying that principle. outsidecasing. The space thereby provided is Having reference to the drawing,Fig. 1 is a sufficient for receiving the used record of many view of theback of a watchmans clock with days Of recording Operation. the coverremoved. In the drawing the recording means is general- 20 Fig. 2 is asection on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. 1y designated and located at l5.Recording is Fig. 3 is an inside elevational view on line 3- 3 therebyaccomplished upon the record strip in of Fig. 1. cooperation with arecording key which may Fig. 4 is a detail of a, spring member. eithercontain the recording type or cause actua- Fig 5 shows a detail ofmodified f rm tion of recording type in the clock. Recording 25 Thewatchmans clock of the present invenis accomplished by the coaction ofthe recording tion is of the type which is carried by a watchmeans 5 dthe recording k yman in making a tour of inspection. The form The recordstrip is in the form of a strip of clock to which this invention relatesconsists Wound into a roll. Suitable means such as a cyof clockwork, arecord sheet, means for coorlindrical well I6 is provided within theconfines 530 dinating the movement of the record sheet. with of theoperating mechanism unit for receiving the clockwork, and recordingmechanism, either the supply roll I1. Means for advancing the partiallyor wholly built in th cl ck, All of record strip consists of a pinwheelI9 mounted this is contained within a casing and the record upon anarbor 18 which is driven by the clocksheet is available for examinationand for re- Work. Holes in the record strip are engaged by ;35 placementby a watch captain or other authorpins upon this pinwheel. Aspring-pressed ized person provided with keys to the casing. keeper 20serves to retain the record strip in en- Some types of watchmans clocksare provided gagement with the pins. After the record strip withrecording mechanisms which are actuated leaves the pinwheel, it travelsbetween guides by keys at difierent stations along a watchmans 2|, 22,which direct it to the periphery of the .40

route of inspection, while for other types the reoperating mechanismunit where it enters the cording mechanism is located at the variousstaannular space between the walls H and [4. This tions. In the lattertype recording mechanism space serves as a storage compartment for re isintroduced into the clock and is caused to ceiving the record stripafter it has advanced bemake a record through coaction therewith. yondthe clock-operated advancing means. The 45 A watchmans clock usually hasan opening guide means 2| and 22 are metallic strips prefthrough which adial and time indicating hands erably extending to the full depth of theopmay be observed. This dial is at the front of crating mechanism unit.In the device shown the casing. The view of the casing illustrated theyare interrupted for permitting the use of a in Fig. 1 is taken from therear with the back pair of shear blades 23, 24, which may be used 50removed. In the herein described clock the opto cut the record strip.crating mechanism of the Whole device is con- The space adjacent wall His open entirely tained within a unit I0 which is removable from aroundthe casing so that ample space is prothe enclosing casing. This casinghas a circular vided for storing as long a record as might be dewall ll.sired. As the record strip is advanced by the 55 clockwork, its forwardend can travel entirely around the operating mechanism before it startsto overlap itself within the storage compartment.

As there is a tendency for the record strip to slide along against thecasing wall II, it is desirable that any impediment to movement causedby possible friction between the tape and the Wall be minimized. Foraccomplishing this, I provide anti-friction means in the form of aseries of light springs which keep the record strip from rubbing againstthe outside wall. One of these springs is illustrated in Fig. 4. Itconsists of a light brass strip having holes 26 by which it is attachedto the outside wall and a bent surface 21 at its other end carrying alip 28 which limits its movement away from the wall. Preferably, thesprings are provided with sloping edges 29 at their upper surfaces sothat after handling the strip for inspection purposes it may not becomeengaged on the wrong side of a spring when being replaced.

There may be as many of these light springs as are desired, and I haveshown eight in the present embodiment of the invention mounted seriallyon the inner wall of the outside casing. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and3, the lip of one spring engages beneath the rear end of an adjacentspring. The wall H of the casing is cut out with grooves 30, 3| toaccommodate the lips 28 and flanges 29 as the springs are deflected bythe strip. It is to be observed that in addition to minimizing frictionwhich would otherwise tend to act as a drag against the advance of thestrip, the springs, when deflected, provide greater storage capacity.

With the unit which contains the clock mechanism arranged otherwise thanconcentric to the wall of the casing, or so arranged as to allow agreater spacing than that illustrated between the unit and easing wall,the storage chamber would consist of the area immediately adjacent thecasing wall. Obviously an inner wall similar to the wall I4 is notindispensable to the provision of a storage chamber extending entirelyaround the clock-operating unit. The forming of a storage chamber forthe used tape in the manner which I have described and illustratedaffords ample space for maintaining intact a long series of recordentries extending over considerable time. This is accomplished withoutloading the record strip to an appreciable degree and in an efficientmanner as regards both operation and structural arrangement.

Fig. 5 illustrates another manner by which friction against theadvancing strip may be minimized. In lieu of using springs, such, forexample, like those previously described, one or more rings 32 areprovided which present relatively narrow edges 33 for engagement withthe record strip. These rings may be formed as a part of the wall of thecasing, but the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 is preferred, wherein tworings are mounted in grooves 34, 35. Preferably the outside diameter ofthe rings is less than the diameter of the bottoms of the grooves sothat the rings will be loosely engaged. The rings are constructed ofspring material and are split as at 36 so that they may be inserted intheir respective grooves. These rings serve as runners which keep theadvancing tape away from the interior of the casing. By having the ringsloosely fit within their grooves, sufiicient play may be had for therings to change position under pressure of the advancing paper.

What is claimed is:

1. In a watchmans clock, the combination comprising a casing having acylindrical wall, clock mechanism contained in said casing, meansoperated by said clock mechanism for advancing a record strip, means forguiding said record strip beyond said clock mechanism and toward saidcylindrical wall, and an annular storage compartment along saidcylindrical wall and between said clock mechanism and the cylindricalwall for receiving the record strip.

2. In a watchmans clock, the combination comprising a casing having acylindrical wall, clock mechanism contained in said casing, meansoperated by said clock mechanism for advancing a record strip, means forguiding said'record strip beyond said clock mechanism and toward saidcylindrical wall, a storage compartment adjacent the cylindrical wall ofsaid casing for receiving the record strip delivered by said guidingmeans, and means for relieving pressure between the record strip andcasing wall.

3-.- In a watchmans clock, the combination comprising a casing having acylindrical wall, a unit within said casing and containing clockwork,recording means and means for storing a supply of record strip, meansoperated by said clockwork for advancing a record strip past therecording means, means for guiding such record strip upon leaving saidrecord strip advancing means, said guiding means being located forguiding the strip outward of said unit and toward the wall of saidcasing, and a compartment adjacent said wall for receiving and storingthe strip without folding.

4. In a watchmans clock, the combination comprising a casing having acylindrical wall, a unit within said casing and containing clockwork,recording means and means for storing a supply of record strip, meansoperated by said clockwork for advancing a record strip past therecording means, means for guiding such record strip upon leaving saidrecord strip advancing means, said guiding means being located forguiding the strip outward of said unit and to- Ward the wall of saidcasing, and anti-friction means disposed between the advancing strip andsaid wall for minimizing drag of said wall on the advancing strip.

AUGUST PETER KURING.

